Why we should welcome the 'feminisation of the monarchy'

The news that the Duchess of Cambridge will meet recovering drug addicts at a
women’s treatment centre later this month, shows how the women of the royal
family aren't afraid to shine a light on the gritty issues politicians often
shy away from, writes Cathy Newman.

The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting her first child in July.Photo: GETTY

When Princess Diana died, charities she’d supported said she was irreplaceable and her support immeasurable because she’d gone out of her way to try and remove the taboo around illnesses such as HIV, cancer and leprosy.

These are what royal sources call “gritty” issues – far removed from the garden party, high society circuit.

And there’s no doubt that charities are banging on the royal family’s door, knowing that where the Duchess of Cambridge in particular leads, the media pack will follow. That publicity is priceless: raising public awareness of a story which might otherwise struggle to find its way into the newspapers.

Presumably, and rather irritatingly, much of the media chat surrounding the forthcoming visit to the addiction centre will focus on the size of the Duchess’ bump. But if the by-product of that is a welcome name-check for Action on Addiction, and a spotlight shone on the treatment centre it runs, the charity will be very happy indeed.

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Because of the publicity Diana garnered, it’s tempting to think she blazed a trail on all this. In fact, though, her husband had been raising awareness about the social consequences of a lack of opportunity for teenagers years ahead of her, and certainly before the term “Neets” was coined.

“There’s not a single charity or government body that addressed that particular age group – 16 to 25 year olds,” one royal source explains.

But the Prince can’t really claim to be a pioneer in this area either. The royals have for centuries embraced challenges that politicians might shy away from.

The historianFrank Prochaska, known for his work on the royal family, told me there’s been a “feminisation of the monarchy” over the years, which has led to much greater involvement in philanthropy. So whereas George III - whose wife, incidentally, worked to improve the lives of prostitutes - was patron of just nine charities, more than 600 now enjoy the current Queen’s patronage.

The Duchesses are, says Dr Prochaska “working a long tradition of royal charity which has been led by the female members of the royal family”.

It all began in the 18th century, when British monarchs lost their political, law-making power. Embracing and talking about society’s most intractable problems proved there was still a point to the royals, but they were also freed from the need to follow up with tricky legislation.

That’s not to say they’re powerless. Quite the opposite. By slowly but surely raising awareness up and down the country, the pressure for political action grows. And to take the Duchess of Cornwall’s cause, less than 10 per cent of reported rapes result in conviction, so action is clearly badly needed.